State Board of Education strikes Algebra 2, OKs new math courses

AUSTIN – Texas students now have two more options to avoid taking Algebra 2 under a measure approved by the state’s top school board in a 14-1 voted Friday.

The State Board of Education finalized a deal Thursday, striking the course from four of the state’s five new established “endorsements” — specialized graduation plans in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; business and industry; public services; arts and humanities; and multidisciplinary studies.

Only students in the STEM endorsement must take the course. Under the new requirements, students in the remaining endorsements may take algebraic reasoning or statistics as an equivalent to Algebra 2.

Member Martha Dominguez, D-El Paso, was the lone dissenting vote.

Member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, said he laments that not all students will have to take the course under the new graduation rules.

“It’s not perfect. No historic event ever is,” Mercer said.

The board voted in November to allow students in those endorsements – established by House Bill 5, which revamped graduation requirements – to forego the Algebra 2 requirement, but hadn’t approved advanced courses to replace it.

Members also voted to allow students to fulfill a speech requirement by demonstrating communication skills in other classes and activities as determined by school districts.